5 hacks to travel better in 2018!

1. Use Google Flights. Tired of paying expensive airfare? The good news is that airfare is going down. The better news is that Google Flights exists. It's mind-boggling how many friends still buy their tickets on third-party sites like Expedia.com, which seldom have the lowest fares. Also, when you book with third-party booking engines, dealing with unforeseen situations is not as easy as dealing directly with the airline. Google Flights is the most comprehensive site for finding the cheapest airfare in real time, then allowing you to book directly with the airline. Among the list of other benefits, the site offers price differences between certain days (if your travel plans are flexible) and also tracks flights and prices for you, so you'll get notifications if a flight your eyeing will go down (or up) in fare.

Google Flights.

2. Stop paying a lot for hotels. Join a hotel chain's mailing list or follow on Twitter. Hotel brands feature sales only subscribers will know about, and these sales are often unheard of. It really doesn't take a lot of effort (these deals come to you so you never have to hunt for them) and can save you hundreds.

Suite at the Ivy Hotel.

3. Know how to upgrade. Knowing how to upgrade has become an art form because it's so much harder these days. For a hotel upgrade, chances are higher when you book during a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc), are a loyalty member or even ask (nicely) at the front desk on weekdays . For flights, it's a whole other ball game, and I wrote the best ways to realistically get free flight upgrades here.

Emirates business class.

4. Join a frequent flier program. Even though frequent flier miles and points lose value every day, it's still the best way to get optimal seats, better customer service, complimentary upgrades, free checked bags and more.

Emirates business class.

5. Pick the right destination. Are you even going somewhere you want to travel to? Choosing the right destination is crucial when planning a vacation. I wrote 5 travel hacks to pick the right vacation spots, which includes tips like asking yourself WHY.